Supporting your dental team — genuinely having their back — is your most durable retention strategy in a hard hiring market. How you respond when a patient mistreats a team member is a defining, closely watched moment: Simon Sinek's idea of “cover from above” means the owner steps in as the shield rather than sacrificing the person to keep the peace. Championing also means absorbing pressure instead of passing it down, giving credit while taking blame (Brené Brown's daring versus armored leadership), and investing in your team's careers even knowing they might leave — which, as Julie Zhuo notes, is what actually makes them stay. Sinek's Circle of Safety explains why: a team that feels protected relaxes, cooperates, and gives its best. This completes The Hanlon Potential Model™ — See, Grow, Back. The weekly move: find one visible way to have a team member's back at a small cost to yourself.